Naty Matos Releases Debut Novel

I wrote the first draft
of The Road Home in November 2009. I had decided to join NaNoWriMo (National
Novel Writing Month) for the first time. I was going through some personal
challenges at the time and this novel was the escape that got me through it. I
had just renewed my commitment with Christ a few months before and decided to
write from the perspective of those who didn’t know the faith and the joy of
embracing it. But the story is so much more than someone finding faith.

Tell us about the book.

Desiree is a woman struggling in life. She didn’t feel hope. She kept looking for love in all the wrong places and dealing with life tragedies the best way she could.

She had very little support in life. When she goes to college she meets Aimee, her roommate. These two women couldn’t be more different, but became the best of friends. Aimee supports and guides Desiree through her hard times and shows her the way to a better life.

Desiree finally finds love, the right love. She can’t wait to be with him in spite of what it could mean to the ones around her. But he has a condition for their reunion. The question is, Will Desiree be able to be with her lover?

At this time in your
life, what is your greatest hearts' desire?

That my books provide my
readers with an experience beyond the pleasure of entertainment but a spiritual
experience that makes a difference in their life. I also would like to be able
to get to the point where I can be a full time writer.

What does "a day in
the life of Naty" look like these days?

I usually wake up at
5:45 am, spend some time with the Lord and then off I go. I walk my dog, fight
Atlanta traffic, and go to my job with a healthcare company until 3pm. My
afternoons are different depending on the day. Some days I have ministry
responsibilities, other days I go workout. Then it’s time to sit with my laptop
and write. Some days I’m working on my
blog, other days on my other WIP’s. After a few hours of that, I jump on Facebook
and open tweetdeck to start working on marketing and social media. Around 11pm
I shut down everything, I read the bible, journal my day and fall asleep to
start it all again next morning.

Your first book, Growth
Lessons, was nonfiction. Now that The Road Home is written, which do you like
writing better - fiction or nonfiction? Do you find one easier than the
other?

I enjoy writing fiction
better. I have a great imagination. Even in normal conversations I usually
speak with metaphors so I think fiction helps me express myself better. I’m
able to show the message instead of explaining it.

That said, I’m not
giving up on nonfiction. There are at least a few other ideas I have for
nonfiction books, but for a little while you will see more novels coming out
from me.

Don't shoot - because I
know you're just now releasing this book, but are you already working on your
next one? Can you tell us anything about it?

No shooting necessary,
the reality is that there are two other books in the works. One that I will definitely try to release by
the holidays, it’s titled Love Lost on
Christmas Day. This book is a romance that talks about taking God’s gifts
for granted.

The next one, which for
now it’s titled A Perfect Little Life (but that may change), is another romance, but it deals with issues like
pride, living off appearances and living on our own terms instead of God’s
terms.

Thanks so much for joining us today, Naty! May God guide you on your writing journey!

About the Author:

Naty Matos was born in the city of New York.
She grew up in the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico and now lives in the city of
Atlanta. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with a Minor
in Mass Media Communications and a Master’s Degree in Mental Health
Counseling. Naty writes Christian fiction and non-fiction. She maintains a
blog on Christian Living Topics atThe Rising Muse.

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